


Will Darkness Cast Out the Light?

by Drowned_dreamer



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dark!Emma, F/M, Graphic Sex, Queens of Darkness, Season 4b AU, Vampire!Emma, Vampire!Killian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-02-23
Packaged: 2018-03-14 18:03:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3420347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drowned_dreamer/pseuds/Drowned_dreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Queens of Darkness awaken an age-old monster to tempt Emma to the dark side.  When it succeeds, will her and Killian’s love be enough to pull her back or will she forever be lost?  CS AU for Season 4B.  One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Will Darkness Cast Out the Light?

**Author's Note:**

> Why I thought it would be a good idea to post this, I've no idea. I've been nervous about Dark!Emma for some time now, and this was just a one-shot of me trying to exorcise some serious demons or something. 
> 
> This is super dark, without a doubt the darkest thing I've written, and super sexual in nature. If the thought of sex and death turns you off, please don't read.
> 
> However, somehow I managed to eek out a happy ending of sorts. I felt it was needed.

It started as a dream. A vivid, intoxicating dream. At her window was a shadow, a familiar shape with vivid grey-blue eyes. Then there was a voice, hitting her deep, tugging at her soul. “Let me in, love,” it begged.

What choice did she have?

When she awoke, all she could remember was a kiss. Searing, toe-curling, much like their other kisses, but this one left her feeling weak, drained somehow.

The dreams continued throughout the week, every night the same. A shape at her window asking to be let in, intoxicating kisses trailing down her jaw, over her neck and shoulders. Waking up more tired than she had been before she had fallen asleep.

And she couldn’t get enough.

It was like she was addicted. All she could think about all day was what might happen that night. Would it be the same or would it go farther? She had to admit, she wanted more than just kisses.

Of course, being Emma, she kept all of this to herself. With a slew of strange deaths popping up, reports of a trio of witches, and a sighting of the Dark One, everyone was too preoccupied to notice her lack of sleep anyway. And if they did, well, she was constantly busy so who could blame her. Being the Savior was a full-time job, after all.

Killian noticed all right, asking daily about her well-being with a concerned look always in his eyes.  

His eyes, those same eyes that haunted her nights now shadowed her days. And though she loved him (and yes, she could finally admit to herself that she did love him), it was simply too much.

So she did what she always did best and pushed him away, citing her obligations to the town, to her job, to her family.   He would merely nod in acceptance and give her the space she asked for. And damn him, if her heart didn’t break just a little every time she saw the defeated look on his face as he walked away.

Daily, she would go out with her father, usually to investigate the lastest unexplained death of a Storybrooke resident, and daily she would come home with no more answers than before, awaiting the welcoming arms of slumber and rest that never came.

It was then that the dream shifted. She needed more, she could feel the rising heat inside her at each plundering kiss. She didn’t know if this was really Killian coming to her nightly as he was unable to during the day, or if this was simply her overworked imagination getting the better of her. She hoped it was real. It felt real.

It felt _good_.

He was back, her shadow pirate, peppering her jaw with his heated breath. “Please,” she heard herself whispering, no longer able to contain her desires. “ _Please_.”

He seemed to know immediately what she was asking and chuckled at her desperation. “Of course, love,” she heard. “You just have to let me in.”

She opened herself to him then, relaxing her tense muscles and letting him lead. He pulled her towards her bed, dropping her down and covering her with his dark, hulking shape. His mouth reattached itself on her neck and she could feel him suckling at her pulse points.

It was making her come apart. Her whole body quivered in anticipation and she shifted so that she could rub her thighs together, giving herself the friction she ached for. In all her time with him, she had never thought that it would be like this. She felt beside herself, looking down upon her body like an outsider. And for some reason, all she wanted to do was to tell herself to stop this madness.

But she didn’t want it to stop. She wanted more. She needed more.

“Love,” he said, a question laced in his low growl. “Do you want this? Do you want me to take you, to make you mine forever?”

She moaned and arched against him, because _fuck yes, she wanted this._

“Yes,” she hissed. “Take me.”

With blinding speed, he undressed her, sliding his hands up underneath her nightgown, her heated flesh revealed to him at last. She had no idea whether he was naked or clothed, it was almost as if her mind couldn’t wrap itself around anything concrete about him other than his eyes and that scent of ocean and leather that was unmistakably him.

As the last scrap of clothing fell away, she felt him once more at her neck. He was muttering into her skin. Strange, incomprehensible phrases about filling her with his darkness, turning her into him. It didn’t matter anymore, there wasn’t anything else she wanted except to be with him, always.

Her body ached for him, her neck burned raw where he was pulling at her skin with his teeth. And then, suddenly, she felt him there, between her legs. Hot and hard, gliding over her wet folds with teasing slowness. “I’m going to take you now, Emma. I’m going to have you, and you will be mine.”

“Mmmm, yes,” she moaned again, her mind a whirlwind of anticipation and nerves. “Please, I need you, Killian.”

Without warning, he plunged inside her, filling her completely, while at the same time the sucking on her neck became a sharp, painful sting. And as he rocked in and out of her, she could feel him continue to draw upon her neck, like he was drinking her dry.

And maybe he was. Her already confused mind slipped farther away, all rational thought fleeing as she was overcome with sensations. Her legs wrapped around him felt weak and languid and she lost the strength to move in time with his thrusts. But the pleasure he was bringing her never wavered, it only increased. Her breathing slowed and her heart thudded painfully in her ears, but all she could feel was the need for more. For that final push over the edge into oblivion.

“That’s right, Emma. Let go, let it all go.” He shuddered, finally moving to hover above her. In the darkness, he was only twin points of light floating in the ether. She felt him shift, to draw his hand across his chest in a strange movement. Suddenly, there was a new scent in the air. Coppery, rich, and irresistible. With his other hand, he lifted her head, directing towards where the scent was strongest.

“Drink, Emma. Drink and let the darkness fill you.”

The farthest reaches of her brain were screaming at her to _stop_ , to _run_ , to push him away, but they were drowned out by the overwhelming sense of _want_ that had taken her. She ran her tongue across her lips, licking it like she was preparing for the most mouth-watering feast of her life. And she was. Her tongue met his skin, and a drop of the liquid hit her tongue, and _god, was it incredible._ It was as if she had never known the true taste of anything before.

Eagerly lapping at the liquid, relishing the way it slid down her throat, the coppery tang twisting on her tongue, she couldn’t stop herself from trying to take more. She wanted more. _So much more._

“That’s it Emma, take it, let it consume you,” he commanded. Suddenly, he shifted and his still rigid cock slid back inside her, pumping against her further heightening the sensations on her tongue. She knew she was moaning in ecstasy, but couldn’t bring herself to stop. He increased his speed, shifting her hips and hitting her in the spot that always made her fall apart.

“Come for me, Emma. Let it all go, and come for me. Be reborn into the darkness.”

No longer able to fight him, she obeyed his command and with a tremendous quake, she fell over the edge and lost herself to the darkness.

……………………

Killian was worried. No, he was beyond worried. Things were getting back in Storybrooke and it looked like not even Emma could fight on this many fronts. And then there were the murders. Seemingly random people, drained of all blood and left to be found along the roadside. There was a new one every day and no one knew what had caused it not to mention how to stop it.

And Emma, god, she was wearing thin. Every day, she seemed more tired, less energetic. She never smiled anymore. Not at her parents, not even at her son. Something was very, very wrong.

She kept pulling away from him, shutting him out. He thought after all they had been through that wouldn’t happen again, but clearly he was wrong. He just needed a way to get through to her.

Showing up at the loft early with two strong coffees, he hoped that maybe today was the day she would let him in, let him help.

He was greeted by a sleepy-eyed David, who looked like he was in the process of getting ready for work.

“Hook?” He asked, stepping back to allow the man entrance to the loft. “Why in god’s name are you here so early?”

Killian smirked and held up the cups, “I come bearing sustenance for the Savior. She’s been looking a bit like The Walking Dead lately, and I thought she could use a little extra help.” He smiled a bit at his reference, remembering how Swan had insisted upon making him watch every episode with her during their weekly Netflix sessions. His smile faded as he recalled how even those had stopped lately.

“You pick one of those up for me?” David grumbled, crossing his arms.

Killian shrugged. “I would have, mate, but I have a feeling you might be fighting your daughter for it.”

David lost the moody attitude and smiled. “Yeah, she really likes her coffee.”

“Indeed she does,” Killian said, giving David a wink that made him frown in confusion.

Shaking his head, David glanced up at the wall clock and sighed, “I’d better go wake her up. It’ll probably be another long day and who knows what we’ll find this morning.”

“Still no luck tracking down whatever it is killing those people?” Killian asked, taking a seat at the counter and propping his foot up on the stool.

David heaved a sigh and ran a hand across his neck. “No. It’s been over a week, and we have no leads whatsoever. This is going to get out soon. So far, we’ve kept the news relatively contained, but it’s only a matter of time before we have a full-on panic to deal with. How ‘bout you? Any Crocodile sightings?”

“Sorry, mate. He’s as elusive as ever. Even his lovely Belle can’t seem to draw him out. And she’s been parading that Scarlett ponce all over town.”

David chuckled. “You know, maybe Belle really does have a thing for Will. He’s not that bad of a guy. Better than Gold, at any rate.”

“Aye, you’ll get no argument from me.” Killian flashed him a raised brow as he returned the Prince’s smile.

“Well, keep at it, Killian. I’m sure you’ll find him.”

“Aye, mate.” Killian scratched a sudden itch behind his ear and looked up at the loft where Emma’s room was located. “Time for that wake up call?”

David rolled his eyes as he slapped him on the shoulder, “Go on, then. Awaken your sleeping beauty.”

The flush taking over Killian’s face had David laughing heartily to himself, as Killian stumbled his way up the stairs.

Knocking softly upon Emma’s door, Killian called out, “Emma? It’s me. I’ve come bearing gifts of a caffeinated nature.”

Hearing no response, he tried again, slightly louder. “Emma?”

An uncertain fear rose in his chest and he warred with his better judgment. “Emma, love? I’m coming in.”

The room was empty, the only movement the fluttering of her curtains in the cool morning breeze. He looked around in confusion. It seemed her bed was unmade, her bed clothes thrown hastily about. Stepping closer to the bed, he tried to see if any of her belongings may have been missing as well when he saw it.

There, just under the pillow was a small, red pool of sticky, wet blood. Emma’s blood.

Bile rose in his throat as he choked back a hoarse yell. “David! Snow!”   He bellowed, nearly collapsing upon the floor. At this point, he didn’t care if he woke the whole damn town. All he cared about was finding his Swan.

Hurried footsteps approached the door, and an angry voice shouted his name, but he barely registered. Dimly, he saw the figures of Emma’s parents enter the room, eyes alighting on what had caused his breakdown, as they clutched each other in their own terror.

Killian allowed himself one minute more to feel the full brunt of fear race through him, but he knew falling apart wouldn’t help Emma now. He pulled himself together, squashing the pain and agony and worry deep down into his gut as he rose from the floor. “We need to find her,” was all he could manage as he stormed from the room.

………………

Emma was alive. Alive like she had never been before. All of her past, her hurt and pain from being abandoned, her fears of the future, for her family and her son, none of that mattered any more. She was living solely for the pleasure of the moment.

The shadow man led her on, dancing into the starlit evening. “Come my dear. Come, you must be hungry.”

She was hungry, she was absolutely starved, in fact. She nodded, smiling after him as they made their way through the forest. Through the trees, the moonlight flitted in and out, catching on her skin and making it glow with its silvery light. All about her, her now silver tress floated in the breeze. She never felt more beautiful, more at peace than she did right now.

Soon, she could make out the sound of a babbling stream. To her new ears, it sounded like a symphony, and she wished to sit and listen to it all night. But the gnawing stab of hunger in her gut drove her onward.  

“Emma, do you smell that?” The shadow asked. She tilted her head up and breathed in, and yes, she could smell something. Something wonderful and savory, a bit like roasted meat, and she let her feet carry her towards the smell.

A man slept deeply against a log, the campfire before him burning down to embers. She approached cautiously, unsure why he would be the source of the delicious smell.   The shadow nudge her forward, “Go on, Emma. You must.” His words confused her, but she obeyed, stepping soundlessly through the camp towards the sleeping man.

Bending over him, her silver hair curtained her face, hiding the change of her eyes as she became overcome with the need to taste the man. Her jaw and mouth opened, taking in air in heaving gulps, unable to resist the pull he had on her. Her body bowed closer and closer to the source of the man’s essence, a spot just under his neck, along his shoulder. She reached down and ripped through his coat and shirt as if they were made of tissue paper, needing access to that spot. Her teeth felt strange in her mouth, almost as if they had changed their shape. And still she couldn’t stop.

“Drink, love. Drink your fill,” the shadow declared.

With a long groan, Emma sealed her lips over the spot and bit hard at the man. He flinched under her but did not wake, as she felt the first drops of his delicate essence upon her tongue. As she suckled him, needing more and more of the warm, sweet liquid, she felt herself grow ravenous with an entirely different sort of hunger. She clenched her thighs shut, aching to touch herself while she drank, but feeling that it wouldn’t somehow be appropriate. Still, the burning between her legs grew, even as the liquid dried up.  

When she was done, she fell back to the ground, closing her eyes and letting the heady sensations wash through her. She wished her shadow pirate would touch her, kiss her, like he did the night before, but he remained at a distance.

Writhing on the ground, she pleaded with him to take her once more, but he only chuckled. “Why would I do that when I already have you?”

At that moment the shadow vanished, leaving her alone with the corpse, unable to find satisfaction even in the throes of pleasure.

………………..

A week passed with no sign of Emma, and everyone was growing increasingly worried. Word was out about the deaths, as more and more bodies kept being discovered.   A quick decision to move Henry and the Charmings to Regina’s house where she could protect them far more efficiently was easily made, and daily search parties scoured the town and forest for any sign of their Savior.

The town was quickly falling into chaos. Panicked patrons pleaded with Mary Margaret and David for a remedy to the unnamed evil stalking them. A remedy they could not provide. Many were already choosing to cross the town line, taking their chances in a word without magic, even if it meant forsaking their friends and families forever. David and Mary Margaret were at the end of their ropes, with little hope in sight.

But no one was worse off than Killian. He tried to keep up hope of finding Emma, but lack of sleep coupled with agonizing heartache was taking its toll. At first, he had gladly gone with the search parties, doing everything in his power to find his Swan. But as hope dwindled, so did his sense of self preservation. Now, he went out alone, walking the docks, the backways, and the forest day and night, always searching for any sign that Emma might still be alive.

But it never came.

Utterly exhausted, Killian collapsed under a tree. He was somewhere deep in the forest and had long since lost the way back. Truthfully, he no longer cared.   If his Swan was gone, there was little he cared for and death would be a welcome gift at this point. The only thing driving him onward was the tiny glimmer in his heart that Swan was still out there somewhere. And until he knew, he would never stop looking.

Right now, though, his body needed rest. It would only come if he had so thoroughly abused it so that he could no longer fight of sleep. Otherwise, his slumber was plagued by nasty, vivid dreams of finding Emma long after it was too late.

His head drooped against the tree roots, and his eyes fluttered shut. Thankfully, it was a warm night, fully lit by a large harvest moon, and he felt no need to start a fire. He checked that his sword and hook were in place and adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. He would sleep for a couple hours, he told himself, and then continue. Just a couple hours.

………..

The moon was sailing on the horizon when she caught the new scent in the forest. This one seemed different than any of the others. It was stronger, sweeter, more tantalizing than anything she had previously come across. Her bare feet flew across the forest floor, headless of the needles and brush that scraped against them. She had to have it, to drink it in like she had the others.

The dark-haired man was turned away from her, bringing a smile to her lips. This would be easy, and she took pleasure in the thought of the upcoming conquest. Alighting next to him, she sucked in the air, needing to find the source of his essence. During her feedings, she had found that every person had their own source where the smell of their lifeblood was strongest. Most were located near their necks, some, their thighs or arms, and one even on her stomach. It mattered not to her, all that mattered was that she had to have it, she needed to keep feeling this feeling of life within her.

All around, she felt the pulse of the forest, the wane and tug of the moon, even the gravity of the ground beneath her feet. She had never felt so connected to the earth. It was as if she was its child and nature, her mother, comforting and cradling her in long-desired peace.   She couldn’t lose that now. She wouldn’t lose that. Even if she had to drink from everyone in Storybrooke.

And she would start with this man tonight. Oh, the things he did to her senses! Unable to stop herself, she ran a hand down his arm, reveling in the softness of his skin. It stoked her desires to not only drain him, but to seek her release as well. She had been desperate for her shadow pirate to come back, to take her again, so that she could finally rid herself of her pent up desire for flesh-to-flesh contact, but so far, he hadn’t returned.

He had abandoned her too. Momentarily forgetting the man beneath her, she thought about the shadow and his actions for the first time since her turning. He had promised to be with her always, to stay with her forever, but he had left her like everyone else. How could he do that?   Her pirate loved her, and she knew he would stay, but he left. He left and she was alone.

Her anger rose. Unconsciously, she rolled the man over, shredding his clothes with her razor sharp nails. How could he leave? He promised her forever.   She dug into the man’s sides, causing his to cry out in pain and open his eyes.

“Emma?” He cried, startled by the black-eyed, silver-haired creature hovering above him. She tilted her head like a carnivorous animal, and he tried to scramble back in fright. This was not his Emma, this was a monster of blackest soul.

She perched on him, pinning him easily with surprising strength as she began shedding her wispy layers of clothing from her lithe body.

Dumbfounded, Killian could only watch in horrified wonder. What was she doing? Why had she stripped naked and shredded his clothes? What had happened to the woman he so desperately loved?

“Emma, love, what happened to you?” He cried, feeling the welling of tears in his eyes. He was so shocked by her actions that he had completely ceased to struggle.

She didn’t answer, it was like she was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t truly see him at all. She moaned and rocked back on his stomach, her body dripping with need, and he was completely unable to keep his own body from responding. Somewhere buried inside this beast was Emma, _his Emma_ , and damn if his body didn’t know it.

Her hands grazed up and down his chest, leaving deep red gashes in their wake. The pain only heightened his desire for her, even though his brain rejected her advances completely. It was his heart, though, that wavered with true uncertainty. Perhaps he had been so completely heartbroken by her loss that he had invented this savagely dark Emma, maybe she was no more than a nightmare? There was no way this could be real, his Emma would never succumb to the darkness like this.

But the feel of her wet, burning cavity wrapping around him felt real enough. Unable to hold back, he pistoned up into her, a moan of pleasure escaping his lips and hers at the same time. Her head which had been thrown back and looking up at the starry sky, dropped forward to observe him. For a moment, the sight of her jade eyes overtaken by the blackness ran his veins cold, but then she was moving again, sliding herself up and down his cock in a dance of pleasure and pain.

He couldn’t help but follow where she led.   Head slumping against his neck, she sniffed at his body. Her mouth and nose trailed across his collar and down through his chest hair, stopping at a spot just over his heart. She looked up then, briefly, and smiled, and for the smallest of seconds, he thought he might have his Emma back.

Until she tore into him, teeth piercing the skin above his heart. Never did she stop her movements, and the exquisite pleasure she drew from him was overshadowing the pain of her teeth in his chest. His world felt hazy, slipping away into a fog as she suckled him. He could feel her drawing out his blood, his life force, feel it leave his body and enter hers. And he knew what would happen next. He would be just another bloodless corpse left for no one to find.

He couldn’t bring himself to care. If he was to die, he would die by Emma’s hand in the most perfect way possible. In fact, he could feel his heart slow down, feel the fight drain out of him, feel her still riding his rock-hard member into the hereafter.   He knew his approaching release would be a release of a different kind as well and he welcomed it. There was only one thing yet left to do.

“Emma, love,” he whispered with all the strength he had left, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I know that someday, when you fight back this darkness, you might regret what you’ve done. But there is no need, love. I go willingly as your sacrifice. To die in your arms has been my only desire. Granted, I thought you would at least recognize me as I breathed my last, but…” he groaned as she hit a particularly sensitive nerve with her movements and he completely lost his train of thought. The world was growing black for him now, his remaining strength nearly spent. With one last effort, he lifted his hand to her cheek and said, “Emma, I love you. Forever.”

………………..

It was if someone had flicked on a light switch in a pitch-black room. Sensations and memories flooded over her, wrapping her in light and forcing away the darkness. Her skin tingled as the cloud of black that seeped into her marrow released its hold and her natural light magic returned to her. She could see her naked skin glowing with a pure, white light.

And then she saw everything else. She saw and felt Killian beneath her, felt his body inside of hers, saw the blue tinge of his lips as the last of his blood dripped from her lips.   What she didn’t feel was a heartbeat beneath her spread palms.

“Killian?” She said tentatively, desperate for any sort of response. When none came, her heart exploded in anguish and a sudden desperate plan to save him sprang unbidden to her mind. Tearing at her wrist with her teeth, she held out her bleeding arm over his mouth and prayed it would work. In that moment, she didn’t care that it would make him into a creature like her, she didn’t care that it meant he wouldn’t have a choice. She couldn’t lose him. She needed him too badly.

“Drink it, Killian,” she whispered, forcing her wrist further into his mouth, praying that the liquid would run down into him. “Please, don’t you leave me, too.”

And then, he moved. So slight she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or not. His tongue traced along the gash she had made, lapping at the liquid spilling into his mouth. Suddenly, he was sucking hard at her, drawing the blood in with determined gulps.

The way he ran his tongue out, trying to capture every drop was having an effect on her as well. The blood running through him had renewed his stamina and she felt him bucking against her. Remembering suddenly how her own transformation was triggered, she knew she had to take him to completion.

He pulled back from her, satiated by her blood, but not her body, and she watched his eyes go from stormy blue to blazing white. This was different. He was different. She could sense that his transition wasn’t into darkness, but into something else.

She was light again, her blood humming with light magic. Whatever had been done to her had been transformed into something else entirely by the power of their love. What the final outcome would be, she had no idea, but suddenly, everything seemed far less bleak. Sure she would have to face the guilt of what she had done under the darkness, but right now, all she wanted was to bring her Killian along with her.

A rising heat built within her, and she could feel the way he stiffened as she neared the precipice. “Come with me, Killian. Please, I need you.” She bent down, capturing his lips in a kiss. He arched up, so close to falling, when she pulled back and said, “I love you, Killian.”

With an almighty moan, he came apart, the light in his eyes spreading through the pores in his body, setting him awash in white. She could feel the effect radiate through her, forcing her to fall apart as well.

When she came to, she was slumped against his chest, listening to him breathing hard, his heart beat strong once more.

Carefully, she pushed herself up, needing to see his eyes and know that everything would be alright. “Killian?”

His chest rose slowly, and she could see him struggle to swim out of the depth of the transformation and back into the waking world. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and Emma gasped. They were blue. Shining, brilliant blue.

“Emma? Is that really you, love?” He asked, stroking hand across her cheek bone.

“Yes, I back. I think I’m okay,” she chuckled, realizing she was still on top of him and that he was still inside her. She wiggled her way off, only to fall over his side onto the forest floor.

“What the bloody hell happened?” He demanded, sitting up against the tree. “What was that?”

How was she supposed to answer that question? How could she? Tears sprang up with the startling weight of all that had happened to her in the last week. She was no longer simply human, of that she was positive. And neither was he. But what they were now remained a mystery.

“I…I don’t know. I…” she swallowed hard, and instantly, he was at her side, wiping away her tears as he always had. Suddenly, the floodgates opened and she began telling him everything, from how she was seduced by something pretending to be him, to letting the darkness overtake her, to killing and draining people dry simply because she could. With each new confession, a pain shot through her heart at the enormous weight of guilt she would now have to carry.

It was only when she reached the part about what she had done to him, though, that she truly broke down.

Amazingly, he seemed to understand and he never condemned her for her actions. “You saved me, Swan. I know you think you took away my choice in the matter, but the truth is, I wouldn’t have made any other choice. I promised to stay by you always, and now, love, I shall.”

Hot tears ran down her cheeks at his admission. He kissed them away with the tenderest of kisses.

When they were gone, they gathered what clothes remained and dressed themselves, holding each other as the night quickly passed by.

In the morning, Emma rose first, unable to stay away from her family any longer. She nudged Killian, who woke instantly and joined her. “I need to check on them. I need to tell them that I’m alive.”

“Aye, love. We’ve all gone a bit mad with grief over losing you.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what to do, though, Killian. What if I’m wrong, what if this darkness, this curse, or whatever, isn’t really gone? What if I attack them? We’re not…we’re not normal any more, you know.”

He was silent a moment processing her fears. “Perhaps we should test ourselves, then, to make sure we are safe to be around people.”

“How do we do that?” She asked.

“We locate someone who no one will mind if we accidentally kill.” He said in all sincerity, a smirk playing upon his lips.

She glared at him as she realized what he was saying. “You want to find Gold?”

“Yes, love. I’ve had a devil of a time locating that imp, and I get the feeling this new…me…will have better luck.”

She sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know Gold’s involved with what happened. Or if it was those witches. I don’t even know if shadow thingy that attacked me is still out there.”

He shuffled ahead, his chest and legs peeking through the slits she had made in his clothing. “Who better to give us answers than the Dark One, love.”

And damn him, if he wasn’t right.

………….

After finding a nearby abandoned farmhouse, Emma and Killian quickly changed into more suitable clothing and made their way to the outskirts of town. Killian was oddly quiet as they walked, often stealing small glances at her from the corner of his eye.

“What? Did I grow a third eye or something?” She said finally, fed up with the way he was acting.

He shook his head. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Swan. It’s just that…I have to keep reassuring myself that you are here. I…” he couldn’t finish, couldn’t say the rest, but she knew what it was anyway.

_I thought I had lost you._

Emma knew that feeling all too well.

Deciding to get back on track, she grabbed his hand, interlacing her fingers in his as they walked. He turned to her, as if to comment, but then changed his mind.

Finally, he stopped them and said, “Do you sense him? The crocodile?”

She closed her eyes and concentrated on Gold, on smelling his scent or even picking up on his magic. It was easier than she thought it would be to locate him. “Yeah,” she replied. “He’s nearby. Come on.”

Killian nodded and trailed after her, keeping a look out for any stray townspeople who might notice their presence. Luckily, this early in the morning with a trio of witches and a host of unsettling deaths, no one was walking about. “This way,” Emma directed, waving him towards a small alleyway behind several shops.

Almost instantly, Killian could smell the rich, spicy aroma he assumed was Gold. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was a bit disconcerting. “I smell him.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s his magic you are picking up on. Normal people smell differently. More like food, less like a spice shop.”

Killian didn’t answer, not wanting to think about why Emma would know that people smelled like food. He hoped she wasn’t dwelling on that, either.

In front of them was a narrow red door, with an old brass knocker on the front.   With a shrug, Emma reached up and rapped the handled two-times. _Knock, knock, crocodile. Who’s there? Two vampires looking for some answers,_ she thought morbidly.

Shockingly, the door was opened and Emma and Killian stepped into the murky blackness. Thanks to their new abilities, however, they could see perfectly in the gloom. And just ahead, the Crocodile himself was seated at a table set for three.

“Have a seat, dearies,” he chuckled, waving his hand in the air.

Emma and Killian exchanged glances and they each took a seat. “Gold, we have some very serious questions for you,” Emma stated, clutching at Killian’s hook under the table.

“I should say, so, dearie.” His eyes flashed a tawny yellow and he chuckled to himself again.

“Tell us what happened to Emma,” Killian demanded in a tone that left no quarter. “How can we reverse it?”

Gold’s head shot up. “Reverse it? Why? I’d say you already have, isn’t that right?”

“Gold,” Emma seethed. “What did you do to me?”

Feigning indignity, Gold placed his hand on his chest. “Me? I did nothing to you whatsoever.”

Gritting her teeth, Emma tightened her grip even more, for her sake as well as Killian’s. “Don’t lie to me, Gold. Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing? I’ve killed people. Innocent people. I became a monster. I…hurt Killian.”

Steepling his fingers in front of him, Gold looked between the pair. “Yes, well, you seemed to have healed him remarkably well, dearie.”

“Don’t give me that crap, Gold! I want to know what happened to me!”

He eyed her longly. “The Queen’s of Darkness in enacted a curse, of sorts. They called forth a monster to ravage the town, seeking out those with pure hearts and corrupting them into evil.”

“I was turned into a goddamn vampire, Gold! I thought that thing was Killian, and I had…” _sex with it. Oh, god. I had sex with that thing._ Her face went bright red, and suddenly Killian was leaning over, wrapping his arms around her shoulder to keep her trembling body from ripping her apart.

“Tell us everything you know, Gold, or I swear I will tear you apart with my teeth and bare hands. And I have a feeling, you know I can back up that threat now.” Killian raged.

Gold suddenly looked sincerely penitent. “Very well. I told the Queens of the curse. I told them they would need to corrupt someone with a pure heart in order to get their happy endings. I thought it would help me gain my own back. But all it has done was to bring me even more misery. Did you know, the monster they unleashed also went after Belle?”

Emma and Killian gasped. The shadow creature had gone after more people than just Emma? Was it still out there? Were more citizens being turned into vampires?

Gold frowned down at his twined fingers. “Yes. After it successfully turned you, Ms. Swan, it went for its next victim. Had I not been keeping such a close watch on my wife, it would have succeeded, too.”

“Wait,” Emma interrupted. “You stopped it? Belle’s alright?”

Gold nodded wearily. “Yes, I destroyed the thing. However, the damage it has caused is irreversible. Belle is traumatized, but otherwise unharmed. You, Ms. Swan, on the other hand, you are quite the mystery. You should still be wrapped in darkness. There shouldn’t have been a way for you to come back from your state. Eventually, you would have fallen into the clutches of those witches and they would have used you as a weapon to take over the town. So, I must ask, how did you do it? Not only yourself, but the pirate as well, I see. How did you change the curse?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t know.” She thought back to the first moment of clarity, her body hovering over the lifeless form of Killian, his final declaration of love still hanging in the air. She looked at the man sitting next to her and closed her eyes. “Perhaps it was true love.”

Gold’s hazel brown eyes darted between the two of them with something akin to shock. “Well, dearies, I should say you are both most fortunate then.”

“Fortunate? How is that?” Killian demanded. “We are no longer fully human. What if we keep attacking people? What if we go after people you care about? Belle, Henry? Would you still call us fortunate then?”

Growling back and him, Gold replied, “Look, pirate. Since you have come to my shop, you have made no move to attack me, you both retain all your facilities of reason, all your normal emotions, yes? True, there will no doubt be some noticeable changes in your nature, but both of you are brimming with light magic, now. Can you not feel it?”

Killian shook his head ‘no’, but Emma shrugged. “I haven’t noticed the difference from before.”

“Well, Ms. Swan, you no doubt will in time. As will you, pirate.”

“Wait,” Killian said, a confused twitch in his brow. “I have magic now?”

Gold heaved a sigh of long suffering. “Not exactly. You will not be able to actively perform magic, as Ms. Swan does, but there is magic inside you. Among other things, it will extend your life lines and protect you from most injuries and illnesses, possibly even curses.”

Taken aback, Emma and Killian both remained silent. “So, this…whatever…is going to help us survive?” Emma said at last.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gold nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately.” He glared at Killian purposefully. “I should say you will both no doubt live far longer than I am prepared to guess at this point.” He waved his hand over the table, disappearing the tea that no one had drank.

“Now, dearies, if you don’t mind, I have other business to attend to. And I believe you have some people you need to see.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “What business? Are you still working with the Trio of Terror?”

“No, Ms. Swan. I am not. Ever since the attack on my wife, I have given up my quest for a happy ending. I decided it was not worth the price needing paid. As such, I have been devising a way to eliminate the threat before it can get any worse.”

“So, you are helping now? You’re trying to be the hero again, like in Neverland?” Killian sneered.

“No, pirate. I am no hero. I see that now. All I desire is to protect those I care about from any further harm. Even if it is from me.   As soon as the Queens are taken care of, I plan on leaving Storybrooke for good.”

Killian and Emma stared at his in shock. “What?” Emma gasped.

“I will find a way back to the Enchanted Forest where I will restore my castle and my property and live out my days the way I was always meant to. Alone.”

Questions swam through her mind, and Emma found herself completely thrown by this man. What happened to the Gold she knew? This man sounded completely defeated.

“Now,” he spat, “as I said before, I have business to attend to.”   With a wave of his hand, the entire room erupted in purple smoke and Emma and Killian found themselves once more in the alleyway. Only this time, there was no door in front of them.

Taking a minute to collect themselves, the pair hurried for Regina’s, eager to see their friends and family once more.

……………………

Henry rushed into Emma’s waiting arms and David and Mary Margaret fell over her in a tight embrace. Everyone was crying, thanking whatever powers might be for bringing Emma back home to them.

After a while, they allowed Emma some room to breathe and she recounted a very, very edited tale to those gathered in Regina’s living room. She explained that she was abducted by a blood sucking monster, that Killian found her in the woods, that they fought it off together and that the immediate crisis was now over. Emma doubted if she would ever be able to tell her family the whole truth, but at the moment, she wasn’t entirely bothered by it. Especially when she saw their loving smiles at her miraculous return, and how her mother embraced Killian so tightly she thought he might break, and how her father laughed and clapped him on the shoulder like a brother.   Her heart was too warmed by all of it to bother trying to feel guilty. Perhaps the guilt would come later, she felt as though she could deal with it then, as long as she had Killian beside her, that was.

To celebrate Emma’s return, Mary Margaret suggested dinner at Granny’s for the family, and all of them, including Regina and a newly returned Robin Hood, made their way to the diner.

Before they arrived, however, Killian pulled Emma aside and whispered, “Swan, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit puckish for something not on Granny’s menu.”

She grimaced, feeling the same way herself. Regular food sounded completely unappealing at the moment, but she was starting to feel the need for a different type of sustenance. One that was thick, warm, and coppery tasting. Crap.

“I’m craving it, too. I hoped it would have gone away, that maybe everything could get back to being normal. What do we do?”

He paused, scratching his scruff. “Is it necessary to kill when you take blood?”

She thought it over. Yes, every time she had drank before, she had drained the victim dry, but was it required? “No, I don’t think so. But we can’t just go around asking people if we can sip off them. And who would we test it out on? What if we get carried away? It’s pretty easy to lose yourself in the sensation, let me tell you.”

“Aye, Swan, I’ve no doubt. Perhaps something not human, then? An animal, maybe?”

She shuddered to think of drinking from an animal, but faced with the alternative, what choice was there? “Yeah, maybe. Look, let’s just go in there, fake our way through, and I’ll meet up with you later tonight to figure this thing out, alright?”

Killian nodded his approval. “Of course. As long as we do this together, Swan.”

“Together,” she agreed, linking his arms in hers and following the crowd into the diner.

……………………

The days that followed were a blur. The Queens descended, hoping to take their final revenge. Emma and Killian were at the forefront of every fight, now both immune to whatever the witches could throw their way. Together with Regina, and what Emma suspected was an anonymous intervention from Gold, the Queens were vanquished and the town restored.

Everything could get back to normal. Everything except Killian and Emma. Early on, they had both discovered that animal blood was no substitute, serving only to make them ill. They switched to stolen blood from the hospital, and while somewhat sustaining was not something they could survive on. Knowing that if they didn’t find a live donor soon they might attack and even kill, they enlisted the help of none other than Mr. Smee.

For a hefty sum, he agreed to let both Emma and Killian sup from him whenever they required. Both were nervous, unsure how much their bodies would demand. Killian insisted that Emma go first while he kept a careful watch in order to pull her away should she go overboard.

Approaching Smee, she looked him in the eye and used her magic to send him into a state of blissful sleep. At his proximity, the rush of desire pooled up within her again, but this time, it was tempered by her light magic. She turned to Killian and gave him a nod. “It’s okay. I can handle this.”

He gave her a reassuring gesture and she focused her attention on the body before her. Sniffing over him for his source, she located it on his arm, just below his shoulder. Ripping the fabric away, she let the sensation of his lifeblood overwhelm her, drawing out her vampire side. Faster than a blink, she descended on him, clamping her teeth down and drawing out the life giving liquid from his body.

However, unlike her previous encounters, she felt herself grow satiated almost immediately. Sitting back on her heals, she shrugged.

“What happened?” Killian asked worriedly. “Still too much of a rodent?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, I’m done. I’m not hungry anymore.”

He scratched his ear. “Really? That was less blood loss than a stab wound, by all accounts. Are you certain you don’t need more?”

She smiled, a little trickle of blood at the corner of her lips. “Yep. All good. You ready for your turn?”

“If I must,” he allowed.   Taking over her spot next to the portly man, he followed her example. Closing his eyes, he allowed the illusive scent to direct him where to bite.

Emma watched fascinated as Killian’s teeth clench around Smee’s arm and his eyes turned pure white. She wondered if that was what she looked like as she fed, because he was mesmerizing. It was almost beautiful to watch. He finished his meal with a slight moan, and then, suddenly the other feeling that would come over her as she fed returned full force.

Killian sat up and met her eye, and the heated look her was giving her let her know he was equally affected.   Without a word, he stood and swept her into his arms, carrying her away from Smee’s cottage and towards the nearby deserted canary.   Kicking open the boarded up door with a single blow, he threw her inside. Hardly waiting for him to turn around, Emma began throwing her clothes off, as he did likewise.

“C’mere, Swan,” he growled, tugging her to him so that he could pin her naked body against him and the wall. She complied easily, sliding her legs up and down his backside, rolling her eyes back in her head.

“I need you. God, I need you so much, Killian,” she begged.

He covered her mouth with a scorching kiss, unrelenting until she began to soften and meet his demands with equal fervor. His hand was everywhere and his hook traced a line of cold fire down her spine.

“I must have you now, Emma,” he warned and she threw her legs around his waist.

“Then take me,” she offered, sliding down until his throbbing cock was pressed right up against her.

With a deep moan, he pushed in, stretching and filling her in the most beautiful way. Before she could comprehend, he had pulled back, only to slide deeply once more. His pace increased, as did her breathy cries of _oh yes, right there, don’t stop,_ and _fuck me._ And he did, harder and deeper until she was crying out against him, her release hitting her and sending sparks shooting through her veins. A couple jerking thrusts later, and Killian joined her in blissful oblivion.

“Damn it,” she mumbled as they fell to the ground in a tangled heap. “Is that going to happen every time we feed?”

Killian chuckled into her shoulder, giving her a smirk. “I certainly hope so."

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to review and tell me what you think.


End file.
